MCK vs. MDLN: McKesson vs. Medline Stock Comparison
How do McKesson (MCK) and Medline (MDLN) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
McKesson (MCK) and Medline (MDLN) both fall under the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group, but MCK is classified in Health Care Providers & Services while MDLN is classified in Health Care Equipment & Supplies.
McKesson (MCK) has been public since November 10, 1994, giving it decades of market history across multiple cycles, while Medline (MDLN) listed only on December 17, 2025 and lacks comparable through-cycle data.
| Profile Item | MCK | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | McKesson Corporation | Medline Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Health Care Equipment & Services | Health Care Equipment & Services |
| GICS Industry | Health Care Providers & Services | Health Care Equipment & Supplies |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Health Care Distributors | Health Care Supplies |
| Market Capitalization | 122.48 billion USD | 52.17 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | November 10, 1994 | December 17, 2025 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | MCK | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 25.40% | -- |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 32.67% | -- |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 37.84% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Medline (MDLN) reports a negative beta of -0.93, suggesting inverse market sensitivity over the measurement window. That is uncommon for ordinary equities and can reflect commodity-linked or hedge-like exposure, but it can also come from statistical noise. McKesson (MCK) has a non-negative beta of 0.26.
| Metric | MCK | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 31.71% | 47.93% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.26 | -0.93 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -27.17% | -36.71% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 822.69K | 8.63M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Both MCK and MDLN need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | MCK | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.67 | -- |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.15 | -- |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Medline (MDLN) earns 4.85% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; McKesson (MCK) has no ROE this period.
MCK
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 47.61%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- Median
- 5.45%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
- MCK
- --
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
4.85%
- Max
- 47.61%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- Median
- 5.45%
- MDLN
- 4.85%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both McKesson (MCK) at 1.12% and Medline (MDLN) at 1.85% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
MCK
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.12%
- Max
- 29.35%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- Median
- 2.18%
- MCK
- 1.12%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.85%
- Max
- 29.35%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- Median
- 2.18%
- MDLN
- 1.85%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both McKesson (MCK) at 1.48% and Medline (MDLN) at 5.22% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
MCK
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.48%
- Max
- 35.43%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 6.81%
- MCK
- 1.48%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
5.22%
- Max
- 35.43%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 6.81%
- MDLN
- 5.22%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | MCK | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -- | 4.85% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.72% | 2.70% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 1.12% | 1.85% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 1.48% | 5.22% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 3.65% | 24.42% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Only one side can be read here: McKesson (MCK) reports revenue growth of 12.36%, ranked against its industry; Medline (MDLN) has no revenue growth figure this period.
EPS Growth
Both companies show strong earnings momentum, but Medline (MDLN) at 117.38% is the standout with EPS growth above its industry range; McKesson (MCK) at 49.22% also sits in the top quartile.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | MCK | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 12.36% | -- |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 13.39% | -- |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 49.22% | 117.38% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 15.31% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Medline (MDLN) at 4.04 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while McKesson (MCK) at 0.90 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
MCK
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.90
- Max
- 7.59
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- MCK
- 0.90
- Min
- 0.30
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
4.04
- Max
- 7.59
- MDLN
- 4.04
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- Min
- 0.30
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Medline (MDLN) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65 against its industry range, while McKesson (MCK) reports no figure this period.
MCK
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
- MCK
- --
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.65
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- MDLN
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | MCK | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.90 | 4.04 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | 0.65 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.64 | 3.35 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Medline (MDLN) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile McKesson (MCK) reports a yield of 0.32%, ranking against industry peers normally.
MCK
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.32%
- MCK
- 0.32%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- MDLN
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Medline (MDLN) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile McKesson (MCK) reports a payout of 8.77%, ranking against industry peers normally.
MCK
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
8.77%
- MCK
- 8.77%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- MDLN
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | MCK | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.32% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 8.77% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
McKesson (MCK) at 27.36 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Medline (MDLN) at 90.09 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for MDLN’s trailing earnings.
MCK
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
27.36
- Max
- 80.41
- Q3
- 47.62
- Median
- 29.93
- MCK
- 27.36
- Q1
- 21.19
- Min
- 4.21
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
90.09
- MDLN
- 90.09
- Max
- 80.41
- Q3
- 47.62
- Median
- 29.93
- Q1
- 21.19
- Min
- 4.21
P/S Ratio (TTM)
McKesson (MCK) at 0.29 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Medline (MDLN) at 1.70 prices around its industry’s middle — MCK costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.
MCK
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.29
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.10
- MCK
- 0.29
- Min
- 0.03
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.70
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.13
- MDLN
- 1.70
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
McKesson (MCK) reports a negative P/B ratio of -30.85, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Medline (MDLN) reports 2.95, ranking against industry peers normally.
MCK
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
-30.85
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- Median
- 3.00
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- -1.31
- MCK
- -30.85
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.95
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- Median
- 3.00
- MDLN
- 2.95
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- -1.31
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | MCK | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 27.36 | 90.09 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.29 | 1.70 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | -30.85 | 2.95 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 6.04% | 2.67% |